You will be met by our staff and transferred to your hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. We’ll visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred, gilded stupa as well as capture a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset. From there, we visit the Night Market, where you can browse through a lovely selection of handmade textiles. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Note: as per local regulations, only vehicles of 16seaters are allowed in the city of Luang Prabang
Day2. Luang Prabang – Pakou – Luang Prabang
After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its low sweeping rooves. We then board an upstream cruise on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. We’ll make sure to stop at the Pak Ou Caves, sanctuaries consisting of two large caverns, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images. We will also stop at a few villages during the day, including Ban Muangkeo where the local rice wine is produced and Ban Xiengmene and Ban Chan. In the afternoon we’ll visit the royal temple at Wat Longkhoun. Once back in Luang Prabang we’ll take a short drive to Ban Xangkong and Ban Xieng Lek – small villages well known for silk weavings and for Saa (jute) Papermaking. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily alms giving ritual to saffron-clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. We then visit the morning Market where you will find dried buffalo skins, local teas and saltpeter among the many foodstuffs and hill-tribe textiles.
After breakfast we visit The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture throughout the ages. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will have the opportunity to visit ethnic minority groups in the Ban Ouay, Hmong, Ban Ou, Laoloum Villages. After visiting the villages, we drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfalls where you can swim in the turquoise pools or walk along forest paths. Next we move to Ock Pop Tok shop – The Living Crafts Centre which has to be one of the most beautiful spots in Luang Prabang, you can sit and enjoy the views out across the Mekong at sunset whilst enjoying some incredible traditional Laos dishes, all to the background click-clacking of the looms at work at the hands of Ock Pop Tok’s incredibly talented craftspeople. We return to Luang Prabang in the late evening to observe the sunset at Wat Phabath. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Today we leave this charming town and drive to Xieng Khouang, an area once devastated by American bombings. These back roads are a great way to have an authentic Laos experience. We’ll see very few other travelers, just mostly rural dwellers who are just as interested in us as we are about them! Upon arrival, we transfer out to visit the Plain of Jars, an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are scattered all over the plateau. Overnight in Xiengkhuang.
Following breakfast, we visit the Central Market, after which, you have free time to explore the town further before catching our flight to Vientiane. After checking into the hotel, we continue our sightseeing tour of the surrounding areas. Time permitting we’ll go to the impressive Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge and Buddha Park, a scattered enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures. There are approximately 200 religious images here. A spectacular view of over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day. Overnight in Vientiane.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accomodation: Lao Orchid hotel (Superior room) www.lao-orchid.com or similar
Day6. Vientiane – City Tour
AM: After breakfast, we continue to explore the capital by visiting the major sights including Wat Sisaket, which contains more than 8000 Buddha statues, Wat Ho Prakeo the former home of the Emerald Buddha statue and That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos. We also see the Patuxay (Lao Arc de Triomphe), which was built recently in commemoration of those who died during past wars and today it is the city’s main landmark.
PM: We continue visiting the rest of Vientiane by foot, including Wat Ong Tue, Wat Inpeng and Wat Haisok. We pass by the major shopping areas and the Vientiane Central Markets where various goods are displayed for sale. We return to the Mekong Riverside in the late afternoon to watch the sunset. Overnight in Vientiane.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accomodation: Lao Orchid hotel (Superior room) www.lao-orchid.com or similar
Day7. Vientiane – Pakse – Don Khong Island
After breakfast, we catch an early flight to Pakse. On arrival, we drive south to visit the fascinating UNESCO protected pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia’s most dramatically situated temples. They are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao and date back to the 5th century. We continue our journey by long tail boat to Don Khong, the largest island in the South Mekong river region known for its 4000 islands. Overnight in Don Khong Island.
After an early breakfast, we explore the local villages, where you will see an array of relics from the French colonial era including an old railway and locomotive. We continue to discover the area by boat at our leisure and make sure to stop at Liphi waterfalls, one of the most beautiful in Laos. If we are lucky, we may even see the rare freshwater Irrawaddy Mekong dolphin. We return to Ban Nakasang and drive to Khone Phapheng, the largest and most famous waterfalls in South East Asia. Overnight in Don Khong Island .
Upon leaving Don Khong, we continue our journey towards Tadlo through the Boloven plateau. The Plateau is known for its cooler temperature and has remarkable rivers running off the edges into the lush forests below. A trip to the plateau provides a refreshing break from the heat and allows you to see how coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops are cultivated. This part of our journey is off the beaten track and allows you to discover some of the lesser-known areas in Laos. Upon arrival at the Tad Lo waterfall, we visit ethnic minority villages of the Alak, Nge and Katu. We return to Pakse by late evening. Overnight in Pakse .
